Wilmington Man Can't Control His Anger, Victim Suffers Head Blow From Chair Strikes: Complaint

Matthew Campus has been the focus of other Joliet Patch crime stories. Now Wilmington Police have a warrant out for his arrest yet again.

By John Ferak, Patch Staff

Oct 23, 2026 11:05 AM CDT

Now 34 years old, Matthew Campus of Wilmington has been kept in the county jail three different times since September 2025. (June mugshot via Will County Jail )

WILMINGTON, IL — A 34-year-old Wilmington man now has another warrant out of his arrest in connection with serious charges including two crimes of aggravated battery and harassment through electronic communications. The latest offense involving Matthew Campus of the 500 block of East County Road happened Oct. 4, his Wilmington Police Department arrest warrant showed.

Will County Judge Donald DeWilkins issued the warrant, but so far, Campus remains out and about and Wilmington police have been unable to nab him and take him to the Will County Jail where he was kept in June and July and last September in connection with other offenses.

According to the new criminal complaint, Campus is accused of committing two crimes of aggravated battery on Oct. 4 against a man who is more than 60 years old, "in that said defendant struck (the victim) in the head with a chair."

The harassment charge against Campus states that "said defendant used electronic communication for the purpose of making a comment which was obscene and he did so with the intent to offend in that he sent multiple text messages to (the senior citizen victim) calling him derogatory names and threatening to commit a battery against him until blood was covering his face," the complaint outlined.

Last December, Campus was the focus of a different and unrelated Joliet Patch crime story.

Patch reported that the unemployed Wilmington man faced charges of intimidation and two crimes of domestic battery.

Downtown Joliet attorney Chuck Bretz entered an appearance on behalf of defendant Matthew Campus. Campus was also kept in the Will County Jail for three days in September 2025 on charges of violating a stalking-no contact order. According to that complaint, the Wilmington Police Department has accused Campus of threatening to inflict physical harm against a Wilmington woman, who had an order of protection on file against Campus.

According to the same complaint, Campus was accused of causing bodily harm to the same woman by dragging her against a porch rail. The Wilmington Police Department spent about six weeks investigating before filing charges against Campus for that case.